Reality World
by Ginger Redwood
Summary: Vanellope wakes up in San Fransokyo to find that she had dreamt the whole adventure in the arcade. After meeting Hiro Hamada, she becomes part of Big Hero 7, but little does she know that another world is out there, and the dream she had wasn't just that. To face an evil adversary, she will have to make a choice - one that will change her life, and Hiro's, forever.
1. No More Games

**Chapter One: No More Games**

Vanellope Von Schweetz snapped her eyes open. She looked up to see the unsteady lightshade hanging from the discoloured ceiling and sighed. The old game systems were piled precariously in one corner of the room and the morning sun streamed through the odd blinds that hung at the window. Vanellope sat up, rubbing her eyes. Had it really all been a dream? The bright world; the car racing; the adventure; Ralph? _Ralph..._ He had been a good friend in the end, Vanellope thought. She then reminded herself that he wasn't real – just a figment of her imagination. So she wasn't in an arcade game. Everything came rushing back then – Great Uncle Kati and his cigarettes, the school that hated her, the countless visits to the police station. Vanellope, once again, sighed.

She flicked the stray black hair that had fallen out of the loose ponytail. Why did it always go in her eyes? She dragged her feet to the bathroom and gave herself a long hard look in the mirror. Vanellope was quite small for a fourteen year old girl: small build, fairly short, skinny and, in some ways, weak. Her knees always seemed to be skinned at one point or another and there was that bruise on her left wrist from the times the police officers had dragged her into the station. Her hair was black and tousled and her green-brown eyes were tired.

A quick thought went through her head: _how late did I sleep in?_ But Vanellope decided school wasn't worth it today; she had other ideas. The alarm clock read 10:41. How hadn't Kati woken her before then? Vanellope supposed he was still asleep himself after a night of heavy drinking. Vanellope splashed cool water from the tap onto her face, blinking the sleep out of her eyes afterwards. She redid the messy ponytail with little care, leaving it only slightly neater than before, pulled on her teal hoodie and leather jacket on top, and made for the door. She grabbed an apple from the table in the hallway, took a bite, and headed outside.

Vanellope strode into the town. She was fairly new to San Fransokyo – a resident of only six months. And once again, Vanellope had been an outcast, though she hadn't minded much. She looked up at the hanging lanterns and across to the takeaways on the roadside. She spotted a bakery selling doughnuts and grinned. Doughnuts seemed good about then. She swiftly slid a wallet from a man's back pocket, turned the corner and then ran to avoid capture. Out of breath, she crept into an alleyway to open the wallet. Inside was a credit card, which was useless without the PIN number, and several banknotes. Vanellope pocketed the money, content on spending it on a day's cruise of San Fransokyo.

Up first came the doughnuts – a warm, sugary bag of six. She ate them as she walked along past the shops, eying a pair of shoes or a top here and there. Vanellope had never been the shopping type since she had never had the money for that kind of leisurely activity, but now she cocked her head in speculation. The bag of doughnuts went in her bag, and Vanellope entered the nearest shop.

Whilst she had entered with tattered jeans, a two-sizes-too-big leather jacket, and a hoodie that needed a wash, Vanellope exited with much more style. She wore denim shorts, black tights, a teal (her favourite colour) sleeveless top and a new, shiny, black leather jacket. Vanellope Von Schweetz had finally gotten the real deal. She let down her hair around her shoulders, leaving it messy as always, and stuffed the remaining wads of money in her pockets. She was _rich._

After a day of wandering and spending heaps of cash, Vanellope decided to do what she did best – car racing. She found a car seemingly abandoned in an alleyway, quickly broke inside and started it up. The clock in the car read 12:54. Vanellope wasn't exactly old enough to drive but enough car-breaks had provided the skills and she had that knack for driving. She pulled out of the alley and into the street. She smiled. Car-racing was so _fun._

Eventually, she drove into another alley, hearing some noise from within. She narrowed her eyes in confusion for a moment before she understood. There was a bot-fight going on. A boy with a mess of black hair stood outside watching, clutching his bot in his hands.

"You going to fight?" Vanellope asked, rolling down the window.

The boy turned around at the sound of her voice. "Yeah," he said, "maybe. There's nothing to do since I've graduated high school."

"You look a bit young for a senior," Vanellope commented.

"Well you look a bit young to drive," the boy quipped, raising a single eyebrow.

"Fair enough," Vanellope shrugged. "Good luck."

"Same back," said the boy before entering the building.

Vanellope flashed a quick smile. She shook her head with a slight roll of her eyes before driving off. Unfortunately, luck didn't seem to be on her side as the police car came after her out of nowhere. It was a hopeless car chase and Vanellope was soon outrun. She had to stop the car and get out, her hands raised above her head. "Alright, alright, you've got me," she muttered with a sigh.

"Come on," said the female police officer, "get in the car. You're coming to the station, young lady."

Vanellope looked up at her. The woman was ridiculously tall, though the high-heeled boots may have contributed to that, with a short, dirty-blonde pixie-cut and a long side fringe. She wore her uniform with style, and donned a bright red lipstick. "And who do I owe the pleasure?" Vanellope asked dryly.

"Deputy Calhoun," said the officer, "Now, in the car."

Vanellope got into the police car and silently mulled over her situation during the ride. She'd seen the inside of that station many a time but never been taken there by Deputy Calhoun. Vanellope sighed. She supposed she'd never done anything bad enough before to earn the Deputy's attention. They reached the station and the deputy ushered Vanellope inside. Vanellope thought of her bruised wrist and was glad Calhoun hadn't been so rough. She was shown to one of those plastic chairs opposite the desk and waited.

The man that came to the desk wore the Police Force uniform too, signifying his role as an officer. He was quite a small man with light brown hair and a pleasant face. His mouth seemed on the verge of a smile, though it would take a kind gesture or a funny joke to get it there.

"I've told you, Ralph, it's not my fault," he was saying. "The Force tried you out once and you broke one of their cars, _and_ the window. They won't let you back."

Another man followed the officer through to the hall. He was the complete opposite: a huge man with broad shoulders and hands the side of dinner plates. "But can't you try, Felix?" he asked. "I really need this job."

Vanellope stared at him. _This_ was the Ralph from her dream! She had to take a double-take but he was still there when she looked at him again. She just couldn't believe it. It just couldn't be true.

Deputy Calhoun came in, greeted by a cheery smile from Felix. "Not now, officer," she said, "I've got this kid to deal with. What's he doing here?"

"He was just leaving, weren't you, Ralph?" Felix said pointedly.

"Sure," Ralph sighed, "Think about it, though, please." Then he walked out of the station, his thudding footsteps becoming more and more distant until they could no longer be heard.

"Right, what's your name, kid?" Deputy Calhoun asked.

Vanellope sighed. "Vanellope," she answered. Calhoun waited expectantly so Vanellope added, "Von Schweetz," in a mutter.

"Vanellope Von Schweetz," Calhoun repeated. "What were you doing stealing a car then, huh?"

"Dunno," Vanellope shrugged.

"So, Tamora-" Felix began but was cut off by a call, "- oh wait, urgent in west downtown - bot-fighting."

"I'll go," Deputy Calhoun said immediately.

"No, Tamora, I'll deal with it," Felix answered. "You handle the kid. See you in a bit, Deputy."

"Are you sure?" Calhoun asked. "Bot-fighters can be dangerous. Maybe I should-"

"I can deal with it," said Felix with a wry smile. "See you."

Calhoun nodded her head and then turned back to Vanellope. "So, kid, we'd better ring up your parents," she said. "It's easier if you just give me the number, instead of this mindless waiting around."

"My parents are dead," said Vanellope, looking the deputy in the eye as she tilted her head to one side.

"The amount of times I hear that, kid-"

"They died in a storm off the coast ten years ago," Vanellope interrupted.

Calhoun looked at her. "So, who can I call?"

"No-one," said Vanellope. "I don't want you to call anybody."

Calhoun gave her a look and sighed. Her walkie-talkie crackled and she picked it up, holding it to her ear and said, "Yeah?"

"Car-chase, Deputy," Felix replied. "We got two boys on a motorbike."

"Alright," said Calhoun, "bring 'em here when you catch 'em."

"Will do," said Felix, his voice a little crackly from obvious movement on his side. "You want to deal with them?"

"Sure." Calhoun nodded, "Over and out."

"Over and out," Felix responded before the walkie-talkie fell silent.

Deputy Calhoun went over to the desk to file some work and Vanellope stubbornly sat in the bright blue plastic chair, swinging her legs, determined that the officer _wouldn't_ call Uncle Kati. She looked down at where her knee stung and realised that she had ripped her tights in the chase, leaving a long ladder in them and a graze on the surface of her skin. _So much for brand-new tights._ Vanellope sat there for quite a while, watching the hands on the clock tick away the minutes. Eventually, Felix came into the station, ushering in two teenage boys. The older one was about seventeen or eighteen years old with short black hair and a blue cap. He gave the other boy, who appeared to be his brother, a look which said: _You got me into this mess._ But the biggest surprise was when Vanellope saw the younger boy. It couldn't be him... could it?

"Bot-fighter-boy?" Vanellope murmured louder than she meant to.

The boy turned his head to look at her. _It_ was _him._ He had the same mess of black hair, the same brown eyes and the same bot in his hands. "Hey, racer-girl," he said, a slight grin gracing his lips.

"You know her, Hiro?" the brother asked, taking off his cap and sitting in a nearby plastic chair of the same hue. He looked at Vanellope in suspicion.

"I saw her before... before the bot-fighting," Hiro replied.

"Hiro, huh?" Vanellope asked.

"Yeah," Hiro said, holding out his hand in greeting. "You got caught then?"

Vanellope shook his hand. "Yeah, I did. I'm Vanellope, by the way."

"And as long as we're all making introductions, I'm Tadashi," said the brother. "Ugh, Aunt Cass is going to be so mad when she gets here."

Deputy Calhoun came over then. "Tadashi and Hiro Hamada," she addressed them, "Your aunt is coming to collect you. You'll be let off on a warning this time, but any more bot-fighting and things could get serious."

"Yes, ma'am," said Tadashi with a nod.

"And Miss Von Schweetz," Calhoun continued, turning to Vanellope, "Since this isn't your first time down here, things may be more serious for you, unless you give me the number of your guardian."

Vanellope sighed and reluctantly reeled off the number of Uncle Kati. "He probably won't answer though," she said. "He's most likely still sleeping..."

Calhoun gave her another look whilst she tapped in the number and waited. As expected, the phone went on to voicemail. "The girl in your care, Vanellope Von Schweetz, is in the police station. If you hear this, please come and collect her or I will have to personally drive her home. Thank you."

"Told you," Vanellope shrugged. She had known Kati wouldn't answer.

A woman with a short brown bob came into the station. "Thank you, officer," she said. "Can I take these two?"

"Cassandra Hamada?" Calhoun asked. The woman nodded. "Sure," said Calhoun. "They've been let off this time on a warning, but any more trouble and it could be much more serious."

"Thank you," said Cass. "Come on, boys."

"See you around, Vanellope?" Hiro asked, whilst Tadashi raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe," Vanellope smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"Cool," said Hiro before he was dragged out by the ear by his aunt.

"Looks like we'll just have to wait for your uncle to turn up then" said Calhoun, turning to Vanellope again.

"He won't," Vanellope replied. "He won't have heard your message."

"Well then," said Calhoun, "I'll just have to drive you there. Get in the car."

"See you tomorrow, Tamora," Felix said from the desk.

Deputy Calhoun slid into the driver's seat and Vanellope got in the back of the police car. They set off down the road, hardly a word passing between them until Vanellope said, "So... you and Felix?"

"He's Officer Junior to you, kid," said Calhoun shortly.

"OK," said Vanellope with a small smile.

"Is it this turning?" Calhoun asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yep," Vanellope sighed.

They reached Vanellope's house and got out of the car. Calhoun marched up to the house and hit her fist against the door. You could hear Kati jumping awake and rolling off the sofa before he groggily answered the door. "Yes?"

"My name is Deputy Calhoun," said Calhoun. "I left you a voicemail but decided to bring Vanellope home myself. This is her third and last warning. Any more trouble and she'll be put in Juvenile. Good evening." And with that, Calhoun marched back down the path and drove off.

"Get in then," said Kati. "You heard the lady. No more trouble." Then Kati lay back down on the sofa and dropped off asleep again.

Vanellope sighed and went to her room. She might not be allowed to get in any more trouble, but the thought that maybe she had a new friend was enough to keep her spirits up. Hanging out with Hiro Hamada sounded like fun.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I had been thinking of putting this story up for a while - hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think! Should I upload the next chapter? Thanks for reading and please R &R!  
**


	2. The Hamada Brothers

**Chapter Two: The Hamada Brothers**

"I _have_ to go there," said Hiro. "I-if I don't get into your nerd school, I'm gonna lose my mind! How do I get in?"

Tadashi grinned. "Every year, the school has a student showcase. You come up with something that blows Callaghan away, you're in. But it's gotta be great."

"Trust me," said Hiro, "It will be."

"Alright," said Tadashi, "I'll leave you to it. I'm going out."

"Where?" Hiro asked.

Tadashi smiled then. "With the other guys."

Hiro narrowed his eyes at him. "You're going on a date, aren't you?" he asked.

Tadashi gave a nervous laugh. "N-no... obviously not... Me? A date? No way!"

"You are, aren't you," said Hiro bluntly.

"Yeah," Tadashi sighed. "Look, don't tell Aunt Cass. I don't want her fussing."

"Is it your _first_ date?" Hiro asked, raising his eyebrows as a mischievous smile formed on his lips.

"Hiro..."

"Oh, Aunt Cass will be _overjoyed_ for you, brother," said Hiro wickedly.

"Hiro, please-"

"Don't worry," said Hiro, "I won't tell. Now, go."

"Thanks," said Tadashi, grabbing his cap and sticking it on his head before turning to leave.

"Wait, Tadashi?"

"Yeah?" Tadashi turned back to his little brother.

"Who's it with?"

"Honey Lemon," Tadashi grinned, straightened his cap, and slipped round the corner.

"They have such weird names," Hiro muttered before getting to work.

* * *

Vanellope woke up the next morning dreading the day ahead. Should she bunk off school again? Perhaps she could just lie in bed all day, falling into a deep warm vortex of dreams...

She spotted something sticking out of her coat pocket and sighed. She wouldn't be satisfied until she found out what it was now. She reluctantly rolled out of bed, landed with a thud on the floor, consequently groaned, and then reached for her jacket. She felt in the pocket and pulled out a piece of card. It had a small logo on it with the words: _The Lucky Cat Café._ Vanellope frowned. She was _sure_ she hadn't put that in there. She hadn't even _heard_ of The Lucky Cat Café. She flipped the card over and realised there was a message on the back.

 _Catch you sometime, racer-girl_ _J_

Vanellope smiled. She had been wondering how she would possibly contact Hiro and now she knew he had been one step ahead of her. Vanellope decided she would give school a miss that day. There were more important things to take care of.

Vanellope got dressed, pulling on her black skater dress made from a stretchy, lace-type material, her old tights, and her new leather jacket on top. She laced up her Doc. Martens once more, grabbed some money from the drawer, and headed out into the streets of San Fransokyo. Vanellope knew where she was headed – The Lucky Cat Café. Perhaps that was where she would find Hiro. It would be great to have a friend. But not everything went to plan.

The moment Vanellope saw Ralph Junior, the same man she had seen in the Police Station, she froze. It was too _weird._ Ralph had been from a dream, so how could he be real? Vanellope gulped but continued down the streets. She tried to rack her brains, _trying_ to come up with an explanation. How could it possibly be real? Ralph was a character from a dream, from Vanellope's imagination. Either it was a complete coincidence, or something strange was happening. Vanellope didn't believe in the supernatural, so she blamed it on mere coincidence.

"Sorry!"

Vanellope looked up. Naturally, after all that pondering, she had managed to walk straight into Ralph. "Sorry, I guess I wasn't looking where I was going," she said.

"That's alright," said Ralph. "Hey, aren't you the girl who was in the station last night? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I... um, only just moved here?" Vanellope said, trying to find a believable explanation.

"And you got into trouble that quickly?" Ralph replied, clearly not believing her. "Well, I'm not an officer, so you keep walking and I'll pretend I didn't see you."

"Thanks," said Vanellope before walking off quickly down the street. But still, that meeting with Ralph had spooked her. _Off to The Lucky Cat Café..._

* * *

Tadashi was fixing his hair in the window of the restaurant, waiting for Honey Lemon to arrive. He straightened his jacket and gave a nervous smile to his reflection. What could go wrong? _It's just a date,_ he told himself.

 _I know,_ his subconscious replied, _but it's a first date and it's natural to be nervous._

"I'm not nervous," said Tadashi out loud.

"Tadashi?"

He turned to see Honey Lemon behind him and stared at her. She had never looked so... _beautiful._ Honey Lemon wore a knee-length yellow dress with a fitted bodice, an oversized purple cardigan on top and purple suede high-heeled pumps. She wore a purple beaded necklace around her neck with her large pink glasses, and her hair was left down, long and golden. "Hey," she smiled.

"Uh... hey," said Tadashi nervously.

"I hope I'm not overdressed," said Honey, looking down at herself. "I wasn't sure what to wear."

"N-no! You look great... gorgeous." Tadashi grinned.

"Thank you," said Honey. "Shall we go in?"

"Of course," said Tadashi and lead the way into the restaurant. The waiter put them at a table by the window where Tadashi pulled out the chair for Honey. They looked at the menu to decide what to eat. After they ordered, they made small talk, discussing the Science College, their friends, and their siblings.

"So, how's Hiro?" Honey asked.

"He's good," Tadashi replied. "He's working on a project to impress Callaghan. He really wants to get in."

"He's a smart kid," said Honey with a smile. "I wish I had a brother."

Tadashi smiled and the two of them held each other's gaze for a few moments, Tadashi's brown eyes staring into Honey's green ones. The moment was broken by the waiter saying, "Your meal is served," as he served them their food.

"Uh, thank you," said Tadashi, feeling slightly awkward.

* * *

The sign read _The Lucky Cat Café_ in large, bold lettering. Vanellope looked up at the logo. _Yep, that's the one,_ she thought. It was the other side of town from her house, so she'd spent an awfully long time walking there. She was about to go in, but she spotted Hiro's older brother Tadashi coming round the corner and slipped into the shadows instead.

"Thanks for today, Tadashi," said the tall blonde girl beside him.

"No, thank _you_ ," Tadashi replied. "It was really fun."

"I think I'm going to go inside and talk to your aunt for a bit," said the girl. She smiled, and went into the café. Tadashi fist pumped the air with an expression of joy, before following her in.

Vanellope stepped out into the light, wondering if she should go in. Tadashi turning up had confirmed any doubts she had about this being Hiro's place, but she still wasn't sure... She didn't think Tadashi liked her much, though she could hardly blame him. He probably didn't want his little brother hanging out with a criminal.

Vanellope thought back to the dram she had had. It had been so _good._ She had been, though it sounded ridiculous now, a princess who wore beautiful dresses and sparkling crowns and who could race in a world of sweets to her heart's content. She had the most fantastic cars that she could race in, and the other contestants had been good competition. Vanellope listed a few off in her head that she could remember – -platinum-blonde-haired Taffyta, green-haired Candlehead, and Rancis – the boy who always wore the colour brown to contrast with his golden locks. Vanellope had been popular, with actual _friends._ All that was without even mentioning Ralph. Ralph had been an amazing friend in the end, the best Vanellope could have hoped for. Now, he was a stranger – though he shouldn't even have existed in the first place.

 _Right,_ Vanellope thought, _it'stime to make some new friends._

 _But Tadashi thinks you're a bad influence, Van. You shouldn't go in._

 _Shut up, subconscious,_ Vanellope told herself. _If Hiro wants to hang out, Tadashi won't stop him._

 _If you say so..._

Vanellope hated her inner voice sometimes. She straightened her leather jacket, took a deep breath, and walked inside. The café had green walls and a brown wooden floor. Lots of sunlight was let in from the large windows, and it altogether had a rather pleasant feel to it.

The blonde girl was talking to the woman at the counter. Vanellope recognised her as Hiro's aunt from the station. Aunt Cass, that's what he called her. "You and Tadashi have been around town then?" Aunt Cass was asking.

The blonde girl blushed. "Yeah, we sort of went on a date," she said.

Aunt Cass nearly dropped the glass she was drying. "He asked you on a date?" she repeated.

Tadashi came in and took off his hat. "What's going on?"

"You and Honey Lemon went on a date?" Aunt Cass asked him.

Tadashi groaned, his cheeks flushing a bright red. "Um… yeah," he said. "I'm going to check up on Hiro." He quickly left, attempting to avoid the situation for the time being.

Vanellope walked up to the counter when the blonde girl had gone, and bravely faced Aunt Cass. "Excuse me?" she asked.

Aunt Cass looked at her with those sharp eyes of hers. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"I was just wondering…"

"Wait a minute," said Aunt Cass, recognition forming in her eyes. "Aren't you the girl from the station yesterday?"

Vanellope winced. "Yep, that's me," she said slowly. "Could I-"

"Look, unless you're buying something, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," said Aunt Cass sternly.

"Alright, I'll buy something," Vanellope grumbled. She felt in her pockets for some cash, and pulled out a few dollar bills. "I'll have the Sushi Speciality, a chocolate milkshake, and a bag of toffees please." She knew bribing Aunt Cass probably wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot.

Aunt Cass considered this, seeing the deal hidden beneath the order, and nodded slowly. "You'll have your food in a minute," she said. "You want to see my nephew?"

"Hiro, yeah," Vanellope replied.

Aunt Cass nodded again and went to the foot of the stairs. "Hiro!" she called up, "You have a visitor!"

* * *

Tadashi walked into his room and put his cap down on his bed. Hiro was slumped over his desk, twirling a pencil round and round in his fingers.

"Nothing," he said, "I've got nothing."

"Come on," said Tadashi, picking up his brother by the ankles and swinging him round the room.

"What are you doing?" Hiro asked.

"Look for a new angle!"

And then Hiro spotted his bot. He had an idea. Once Tadashi had put him down, he immediately wrote down his thoughts. A new idea was forming in his genius brain, something so clever and ingenious. It was so brilliant it made him grin. "I've got it, 'Dashi," he said. "I've got an idea."

"Hiro, you have a visitor!" Aunt Cass' voice could be heard as she called up the stairs.

"A visitor?" Hiro repeated, suddenly confused. Who could it be?

"Did you invite anyone over, Hiro?" Tadashi asked in interest. His brother had never been very good at friends.

"No…" Hiro trailed off as he remembered. Then he smiled. "It could be her," he mused.

"Her?" Tadashi asked. "Hiro, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," said Hiro with a smile, "But you do. You'll have to tell me how your date went later."

Tadashi groaned again. "Honey Lemon let it slip to Aunt Cass that it was a date, so you can bet I'll be getting another one of 'The Talks' later."

Hiro laughed. "Good luck with that," he said. "I've got a visitor to talk to." He bounded down the stairs into the café and he smiled when he saw her sitting there.

She was sitting in a booth, with Aunt Cass' Sushi Speciality sitting on the table in front of her. Her black hair was tied back, with a few strands framing her face, and her eyes were green-brown, flickering in the light. She was wearing a cute skater dress that day, with her leather jacket on top, and as she looked up, Hiro felt a strange sensation inside him - one that he couldn't quite place.

"Hey!" he said, coming over and sliding in opposite her.

"Hi!" Vanellope replied.

"Are you hungry?" Hiro asked, looking down at the large Sushi Speciality in front of her. She also had a chocolate milkshake, and a bag of toffees to take away.

Vanellope laughed. "Let's just say that your aunt likes it when people buy her food," she said.

Hiro nodded in understanding. "I see," he grinned. "So, you found my message then?"

"It appears so," said Vanellope, gesturing to the fact she was there.

"Sorry if my brother wasn't that nice," said Hiro. "He'll warm up in time."

"So you want to hang out?" Vanellope asked.

"Sure," said Hiro. "I've got a big project I'm working on now though, but I'll be free to hang out more once it's done."

"Sounds cool," said Vanellope.

"So," said Hiro slowly, "do you like arcades?"

* * *

 **OK, here's Chapter Two! Firstly, can I just say that I am truly sorry for all the line-breaks in this chapter - it sort of just turned out that way :) Also, I should probably say that I used the different lines and put them in elsewhere - which is why this isn't exactly how Big Hero 6 plays out. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think because I love to hear any feedback (and that's good _and_ bad feedback there). Thanks,**

 **Ginger xx**


	3. Project Microbot

**Chapter Three: Project Microbot**

 **A/N: OK, so I know I only put the last chapter up yesterday, but I had already written this one and a had a few really nice reviews, so...  
**

 **Anyway, this chpater was pretty sad to write :'( but I hope you enjoy reading and thanks for all the support on this fic!**

 **Ginger xx**

* * *

A few weeks later, Vanellope was lying in bed, watching the sun create patterns on her bedroom wall through the blinds. The day before, she had been to the park with Hiro. A few days before that, they had been to the arcade. A week for so before they went to the arcade, they had gone to the cinema. Hiro hadn't said what mysterious project he was working on, but it had taken up a lot of his time. Vanellope was quite pleased he had put aside some time to spend just with her.

Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it. It was a text from Hiro.

 _Student showcase tonight. Wanna come and see my project?_

Vanellope thought about it. In truth, she _did_ want to see Hiro's project - the one he had spent so many nights working on in his garage. She wondered what it could be, but she couldn't possibly guess. Knowing Hiro, it was probably something amazing. She texted him back.

 _Sure_ :) _I so want to see this mysterious project of yours._

Vanellope got up and got ready for the day ahead. She just pulled on some black jeans and her teal hoodie for the time being, deciding that she could get changed to see the showcase. She brushed out her hair and tied it back in a ponytail, and then took out her phone again as it buzzed.

 _It is VERY mysterious_ _:)_ _Great, would love your support._

Vanellope smiled. Hiro was an amazing friend.

 _What time to be there?_

She pulled on her Converse and put some toast in the toaster. On second thoughts, she filled the four spaces with another two slices. Vanellope was feeling particularly hungry that morning.

 _Come to my place at 7. I need your help carrying some stuff._

Some stuff? Vanellope wondered what that could possibly mean. But she was content with waiting, and headed out of the house after stuffing the toast in her mouth. Grabbing her skateboard, she rode down towards the shops. She still had all that money she had stolen, and thought about what she could spend it on. New board? Probably not. New dress? Vanellope sighed. She should _probably_ get something nice to wear to the showcase. It _was_ Hiro's special day, after all.

Vanellope suddenly remembered that she hadn't replied to his last text. He must be wondering what she was doing by now. Vanellope got out her phone and replied.

 _Sure thing! I LOVE heavy lifting_ _:)_ _. Getting a new dress for your special day._

Satisfied with her answer, Vanellope headed down the road. Her gaze caught a car warehouse and she stopped to look through the large glass windows. She sighed as she admired the shiny cars inside. Vanellope couldn't wait until she was old enough to get her permit.

A girl inside was handing over a check, obviously buying a car. She had a short, platinum-blonde bob with a fringe, blue eyes, and wore a pink sparkly top under a white leather jacket. She wore a dark pink skirt, translucent tights, and high-heeled white boots. She took the check out of her pink bag, leaning on the counter, and then the man at the desk handed her the keys, saying, "You can pick it up any time in the next week."

"Sure, I will," said the girl. She looked about sixteen or so.

Vanellope stared at her. How was it even _possible_ to be able to afford such a car at that age? But then again, the girl did look pretty rich. Speaking of the girl, she then walked out of the warehouse, and turned towards Vanellope.

"Hey," she said. "You interested in cars?"

"Yeah," said Vanellope, taken aback at the confrontation. "I'm not actually old enough to drive yet though. You must be though, right?"

The blonde girl nodded. "I'm sixteen," she said, confirming Vanellope's thoughts. "My dad tried to buy me off with a car."

"Oh," said Vanellope. "Why would he do that?"

"He's always away," said the girl with a scoff, "So I don't get to see him much. He thinks he can make it all better by buying me stuff. Obviously it's not."

"Why did you take the car then?" Vanellope asked. "Why not prove a point?"

"He wouldn't get it," the girl replied. "I might as well take the car anyway." She paused, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm getting too personal. My name's Taffyta. Taffyta Muttonfudge."

Vanellope knew she had seen this girl before! She was Taffyta from the game - from Vanellope's dream. Vanellope didn't know how that could be possible, but Taffyta was holding out her hand expectantly, pulling her out of her thoughts. Vanellope shook her hand, making Taffyta's bracelets jangle. "I'm Vanellope," she replied, "Vanellope Von Schweetz."

"Nice to meet you," said Taffyta. "You know, you should come for a ride in my new car sometime. It's the pink one in there."

Vanellope looked back through the window and spotted the pink car. She forced the urge to laugh. It looked like it was _made_ for Taffyta. But all she said was, "Sure, sounds fun."

"I'll see you around then, Van," said Taffyta.

Vanellope almost scowled then. Nobody called her 'Van', not even her closest friends. It was reserved for family only. And Vanellope's parents were dead. But Vanellope just gave a half-smile. "See you," she said as Taffyta walked on.

Vanellope took one last look at the cars, and then turned to continue down to the clothing store. She walked in, thinking about what she should buy. Should it be black, or in colour? Should it have any embellishments? And what about shoes…?

Then Vanellope saw the perfect dress. It wasn't teal, but it was a medium blue, and it came above the knees. The skirt and short sleeves were floaty, and the bodice part, down to the waistband, had a layer of crotched material over it. It was _perfect._ Vanellope found her size and tried it on. It even _fitted_ perfectly. Usually, Vanellope wasn't really one for dresses, but every so often, she found one she really, really liked. And this was one of them. She immediately bought it, thinking she could match it with her black ballet flats at home and her black leather jacket. Sorted with her outfit, Vanellope headed off home. She had to get over to _The Lucky Cat_ for six.

When the clock hit six o'clock, Vanellope was leaning against the wall beside the café. A group of Tadashi's friends went inside, but Vanellope decided to wait outside for Hiro. He soon emerged, wearing his same old red t-shirt, blue hoodie combo. "Hey, Vanellope!" he said with a grin. "Fancy giving me a hand to get these bins into the car?"

"Sure," Vanellope replied, and followed him into the garage. Together, with the help of some of Tadashi's college friends, they loaded the heavy blue bins into the car, and set off for the science college.

Vanellope still found it peculiar, though pretty awesome, that Hiro had already graduated high school. The fact that he was already thinking about going to college at fourteen was incredible in itself. Aiming for the prestigious science college was amazing.

The ride to the college was slow, stopping in the traffic every now and then, but eventually, they reached their destination. Once again, those blue bins were wheeled into the building, and Vanellope took the opportunity to look around. The displays were intricate and complicated, and Vanellope marvelled at how much work some people had put in. But that was nothing compared to Hiro's display. Microbots - that's what he called them. They could do anything, anything at all. Vanellope wondered whether they could create a car, a race-car. She would have loved one of those.

When Hiro rushed off the stage, Vanellope went to give him a high-five, but he gave her an unlikely hug instead.

"So, what did you think of my mysterious project?" Hiro asked, looking awkward after hugging her.

Vanellope cleared her throat. "Um, yeah, it was amazing." Realising she didn't sound that enthusiastic, she added, "The whole thing was incredible!"

Hiro smiled. "Thanks." He looked at Vanellope, possibly the happiest she had ever seen him, beaming with pride.

Everyone came over to congratulate Hiro then, and Vanellope stepped back a little to give them all some space.

"Dude that was awesome!" said Fred, the school mascot, and who was also probably a bit crazy.

"You are so talented, Hiro!" added Honey Lemon, pushing her pink glasses up her nose.

"I guess we underestimated you," GoGo muttered, popping her bubble-gum.

"You should totally join the college!" said Wasabi encouragingly.

"You were amazing, little brother," said Tadashi. He gave his brother a fist-bump.

"Thanks, guys," said Hiro, grinning madly.

It was later on that the happy spell was broken. They all piled outside of the college, chatting enthusiastically, when Vanellope noticed Tadashi and Hiro had gone off to one side to talk. She smiled, wishing she had a sibling as cool as Tadashi, and walked on. Vanellope was an only-child, a fairly cheerful only-child, but she had always been lonely since her parents passed away. She hadn't been very good at making friends either, especially recently, with the exceptions of Hiro and Taffyta. Then a peculiar smell hit her and she turned back. Smoky yellow gas was leaking out of the windows and doors, striking concern. There were explosives in there - weren't there? The gas curled and coiled its way outside, having filled every room. Vanellope's eyes widened in alarm.

"Professor Callaghan's in there!" Tadashi exclaimed, running towards the building.

Hiro looked after him, not wanting him to go. "Tadashi!" But Tadashi was too kind-hearted to let the professor die. He rushed in to save him. He was just inside the doors when the whole thing blew.

Vanellope dropped to the floor, covering her head with her arms as she tried to stifle the noise of the explosion. The bright light made her squeeze her eyes shut tight. When it was over, she got up and saw Hiro kneeling on the floor, Tadashi's cap in his hands. His eyes were filled with tears as he accepted the inevitable. Vanellope had never seen Hiro like this. She wasn't good at comforting people, but Hiro was her friend. She rushed over to him and crouched beside him. She didn't say a word - there wasn't anything _to_ say - but she just sat there, grieving with him. Tadashi hadn't been very nice to her at first, but he was like a sort of brother now, someone she could rely on to be suspicious but friendly. Tadashi might have been the reason she had made friends with Hiro, even if it was because he got caught in a car chase from a bot-fight. And now he was gone.

How could he have… _died_ when she had only known him a few weeks? Her heart broke for Hiro, suddenly feeling his sorrow. What would it be like to lose a brother, and a best friend? Vanellope didn't know that, but she felt the same way when her parents died. But the worst part of it all was knowing you couldn't have done a single thing.

Hiro dropped the hat, staring brokenly at the ground. Vanellope silently slipped her hand into his and he squeezed it tight, almost crushing it. The tears were streaming down his face now, and Vanellope knew he just wanted to get away from it all, to go back to his room and curl up in his bed, away from the world. But they sat there for a few minutes more, their hands together as they grieved. Vanellope felt a tear of her own running down her face, and it suddenly brought everything back from when she found out her parents were dead: the throb in her heart, the tears welling up and the shear grief consuming her. She squeezed Hiro's hand back, the tears filling her eyes. They both had to accept it. Tadashi was dead.


	4. A New Threat

**Chapter Four: A New Threat**

It was different without Tadashi, to say the least. Hiro stayed in his room for weeks, his head in a different world completely, and Vanellope actually went to school the day after the funeral. She had lost Tadashi in reality, but it felt like she had lost Hiro too.

The summer days came and went and September came. It was only when Vanellope found the courage to go to the Lucky Cat after school one day that she found someone more depressed than she was, besides Hiro, of course.

The sign on the café read _closed_ but Vanellope slowly opened the door and went inside. The tall blonde girl was sitting in a booth, crying over a latte, with Aunt Cass comforting her. Vanellope recognised this girl. Aunt Cass looked up to see her and came over.

"What can I do for you, Vanellope?" she asked with a quiet voice.

"I just..." Vanellope wasn't even sure why she was there. "I just felt like coming by." She looked back over at the crying girl. "Who's she?"

"That's Honey Lemon," said Aunt Cass. "She is... was Tadashi's girlfriend."

"Oh," said Vanellope, looking down at her shoes. There wasn't much she could say to that, and nothing she could do to comfort the girl. Instead, she asked, "Is Hiro still in his room?"

Aunt Cass nodded. "Never comes out," she replied. "Sometimes he doesn't eat either."

Vanellope sighed. "I don't suppose I could go up?" she asked.

Aunt Cass gave her a wry but sad look. "You can try."

Vanellope slowly walked up the stairs, reaching Hiro's door. She lightly knocked, and waited for a response. She didn't expect to get one though. "Hiro?" she called, "It's me – Vanellope."

She listened for any noise inside. It was so quiet; it was like Hiro wasn't even there. "Look, I know you probably don't want to talk right now, but I just thought... I just thought maybe you might."

She leant against the door, pressing her ear against it. "I'm sorry, Hiro, I really am," she said softly, "I just-" she broke off, her voice cracking. "I just want you to know, Hiro, that I'm here for you," she said, her eyes welling up. Vanellope thought she was out of the crying stage. It had been weeks. But apparently, she wasn't.

"I have to get home or my Great-Uncle Kati will yell," Vanellope continued. "Just hang in there, Hiro. Please."

Vanellope rubbed her eyes and plodded back down the stairs and out of the café.

He opened his eyes, his viewpoint hazy. Bright lights flickered above him and the world seemed to spin. He reached a hand up to his head, where there was a nasty bruise. It was wrapped in soft bandages. His hands, though still stinging, were also wrapped in the soft white stuff. Where was he?

He unsteadily got to his feet. He had to shut his eyes to stop everything spinning, but when he opened them, everything was suddenly clear. He took a few steps forward and made it out of the room. He was suddenly stopped by a very blonde, smiley nurse.

"Oh no, back in there," she said. "You need your rest. You were badly injured."

"Where am I?"

"Arcade Hospital," said the nurse with a laugh. "Do you remember anything? About the accident?"

"Accident?" he repeated, letting her take him back to the hospital bed. "Arcade Hospital?"

"What do you remember?" the nurse asked again.

His eyes widened. "My name is Tadashi Hamada. I live in San Fransokyo. I'm an inventor." He started to raise his voice in alarm. "I need to get home, Hiro needs me!"

"I think you need to rest," said the nurse. "You obviously aren't mentally stable-"

"Shut up!" Tadashi snapped. "Let me out of here!"

"You will rest," the nurse said stubbornly. "That's my orders."

Tadashi stormed out, running as far away as he could. The nurse was soon out of sight, and he found himself wandering into a huge cavernous place. "Where am I?"

Everyone started to stare. He must've looked crazy, stumbling around in hospital clothes. Tadashi started walking, as fast as he could, to get out of there. In result, he only ended up walking straight into a very large man.

"Hey there," he said, looking down at him. "Where're you off to?"

"Sorry, I'm Tad... ashi..." Tadashi stared at him. "I know you! You're the officer's brother!"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about, but I think you need to get back to the hospital," said the man kindly.

"I'm not crazy," said Tadashi, "I just need to know where I am."

"Well this is Game Central, for a start," said the tall man. "You must've knocked that head of yours pretty bad."

"Why do people keep saying things about games and arcades?" Tadashi asked hopelessly.

"Because we're in one," said the man. "Look, I think you need a hand. My brother can take care of you. Come back to my game."

"Which one's that?" Tadashi asked uncertainly.

"Fix-It-Felix Jr.," said the man. "I'm Ralph. Come on, there's food and a warm bed waiting for you in the penthouse."

"Alright," said Tadashi. He did know the guy after all. He followed him down into a small train, which took them into a dark area that was lit up by a huge flat.

What was even more daunting was the fact that when Tadashi looked up, he could see an enormous screen, and an arcade through it. "I'm actually in a game," he muttered.

"Yep, buddy, where else would you be?" Ralph laughed.

Tadashi could only murmur, "Hiro would love this," before he fainted and collapsed to the floor.

* * *

A few weeks later, Vanellope decided to drop by the café again. She kept telling herself it was on the way home from school, and she wanted a snack, but really she wanted to see if Hiro was up and about. But by the time she got there, The Lucky Cat was closed and it was dark. Vanellope had underestimated the time it would take to walk there. She wished she'd brought her board.

Vanellope sighed. She would have to drop by on her way to school the next day. But as she saw a figure creep out the front door, she slipped round the corner into the shadows to watch. It was Hiro. Vanellope watched him as he looked around cautiously and made his way along the road, followed by a large marshmallow-like figure.

Vanellope frowned. What was Hiro doing? She pulled her jacket more tightly around her and decided to follow him. It was only when they reached the canal that Hiro and the marshmallow slowed to a stop. Vanellope hid behind a crate as Hiro looked out into the darkness of the canal, appearing to be searching for _something._

Suddenly, Hiro and marshmallow ran behind another crate. Vanellope crept further behind, hoping they wouldn't see her. It would be weird if Hiro found out she'd followed him. But Hiro looked over and spotted her.

"Van?" he hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Vanellope opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of one answer that wasn't, "I was stalking you." She took a few steps forward into the light but Hiro ran over and pushed her behind the crate again.

"There's something out there," he whispered, "And I think it's really dangerous."

"Dangerous is good," Vanellope replied. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," said Hiro, peering out again. Marshmallow was waddling over to them. "Baymax, no!"

That was when a figure rose out of the gloom, mounted on a wave of tiny black pieces of metal. And then he came for them.

"What are those things?" Vanellope asked, staring at the man in alarm. "Wait, are those microbots? Your microbots?"

"Yeah," said Hiro. "Baymax, get him!"

Suddenly, a car pulled up and the scene was flooded with light.

"Hiro? What's happening?" said Honey Lemon, getting out of the car. That was the first time Vanellope had seen her doing anything but crying since Tadashi's funeral.

"Who is that?" GoGo asked, looking at the dark figure in confusion.

"Baymax can fight him," said Hiro. "Baymax-"

The figure raised his hands and sent a huge stream of microbots their way.

"We've got to go, Hiro!" said Wasabi from the driver's seat, "Now!"

"Everyone in the car!" Fred ordered.

They all piled in the car and Wasabi said, "Everybody, buckle up."

"Just drive!" GoGo yelled and Wasabi put his foot on the pedal.

The man and the microbots chased them through streets and alleys, until they drove straight into the ocean. And then they started to sink.

* * *

A cloaked figure made her way up a set of stairs, her bright pink, patent stilettos clicking with every step. She opened a door and went inside. The room was large, with every wall covered in screens. Each displayed a different place, with different people. The woman clasped her hands together, her nails as pink as her shoes, looking at one screen in particular. The camera centred down on one man, who was sleeping.

"Yes," the woman purred, drawing out the word, "He'll do very nicely."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! I've had really bad writer's block for this story recently, which is the reason I haven't uploaded in something like four months. Sorry. I'[ve got loads of ideas now though, after getting through this shorter chapter. I think updates for this story will be on Saturdays now (UK time) as I'm hoping to get into a regular update sort of pattern. Thanks to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed this story! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, at least a bit anyway, and please leave a review below if you want to. Feedback is much appreciated :)**

 **Also, I have put some of my other stories on a temporary hiatus, not this one thankfully, to focus on just a few stories to get those finished. Hopefully this story will go well and I hope you like it :)**

 **Ginger xx**


	5. Another World

**Chapter Five:** **Another World**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! I didn't think I'd get this chapter up by today but I did! Thank you so much for all your support - it really means a lot :)**

 **Things in this chapter get a little more exciting, I think. I'm hoping to update more than usual possibly for the next two weeks or so because it's the Christmas holiday for me, though I must say I'm not feeling very Christmassy right now. Still, I've got about a week to get festive, and I might write a few 'Christmas specials' during the rest of December. Hope you enjoy the chapter and please feel free to leave a review :)**

* * *

It had been only a few more weeks but so much had changed. Vanellope had become better friends with Fred, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and GoGo, as well as Hiro and Baymax. The seven of them had somehow become superheroes, if you could call it that. There had been drama, danger, and emotion, but they were finally going to catch Callaghan – the masked man. All they had to do was get rid of all the microbots.

The portal was open, almost inhaling everything below it. But soon enough, it was over, and the portal fell to the ground.

"Signs of life," said Baymax.

"Where?" Hiro asked and Baymax pointed to the portal itself.

"Callaghan's daughter," Hiro breathed. "We have to rescue her."

He stepped onto Baymax's back and flew up and into the portal whilst the others watched. Vanellope bit her lip. Hiro was maybe the closest friend she'd ever had, and she wasn't sure if he and Baymax would make it out of there.

There was a flash of light and the pull of the portal grew stronger. "No!" Vanellope yelled, as more material, _and_ her friends were sucked inside. She clung onto a piece of building, closing her eyes. But then she wondered... did she even want to be in San Fransokyo if her friends weren't there? She felt a sudden twinge in her fingers, making her let go. And then the portal submerged her with light.

* * *

Vanellope's eyes twitched open. She felt her heart rate speed up as she took in her surroundings. She was lying down, that much was certain, on something soft and springy, with silky covers on top of her. As she forced her eyes open, she saw a heavily draped ceiling with twinkling lights embedded in it. Her heart rate slowed down slightly as she saw there was no immediate danger.

Vanellope carefully sat up, her hands pushing the soft silk sheets off. Where was she? The room was huge, and she appeared to be in a king-sized bed. The rest of the room was mostly empty, except for two adjoining doors, a dresser, and a full length mirror which reached the height of the ceiling. Vanellope slid out of the bed, moving over to the mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw herself. She no longer looked like the awkward scruff-bag she always knew. Her black hair was long and slightly wavy, falling smoothly past her shoulders, her eyes seemed brighter somehow, and she just felt... prettier. Maybe prettier wasn't the right word she was looking for.

There was a knock at the door. "Your Excellency, are you awake?"

More regal, yes, not just prettier. But when Vanellope heard the words _Your Excellency_ she completely froze.

"Your Excellency ?" the voice said again.

It couldn't be, could it? As she looked around, Vanellope realised everything was exactly like that amazing dream she'd had, where she'd been a president and there wasn't any Great Uncle Kati. "Uh, yeah, I am," she replied haltingly.

"I'll send the maids in," said the voice, who Vanellope guessed to be the chamberlain.

"Thank you," said Vanellope, swallowing slightly. She went over to the huge double doors on the other side of the room that opened out onto a balcony and flung them open. Her eyes grew even wider than they were before. For as far as she could see was a land of sweets, chocolates and everything sugary. She was in Sugar Rush.

The two maids burst into the room at that moment. One was a chocolate finger and the other was a pink wafer, both dressed in pink and white maids uniforms. Vanellope tried not to think weirdly about this. She was sure things would only get stranger from here.

"What would you like to wear today, Your Excellency?" Chocolate Finger asked politely.

"I'm not sure," Vanellope replied, deciding to play this to her best advantage. She was the president, after all. And even if it was a dream, she could at least have some fun with it, right? The two maids lead her through one of the doors into an enormous walk-in-wardrobe. Vanellope stared at all of the clothes in disbelief. She was going to be there a while.

* * *

"You really need to stop knocking that head of yours."

Tadashi opened his eyes, quickly sitting up. "O-officer?"

The small man laughed. "Luckily, I can fix it," he said. She produced a golden hammer and swung it up in the air.

"Whoa, what are you doing?!" Tadashi exclaimed.

"It's my hammer," said the man. "You've never heard of my game? Fix-It-Felix Jr.?"

"You're Fix-It-Felix?" Tadashi asked, now giving the man a better look. "I used to play that game as a kid."

"You're not from here, are you?" Felix asked with a puzzled look.

"No," Tadashi replied slowly. "Where am I?"

"You're in my game," said Felix. "You passed out so we brought you up to the penthouse." He looked down at his watch and sighed. "I need to be at work really soon," he said. "You stay here and rest, I'll send some food up for you."

"I can't stay here," said Tadashi, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked. "Look, I know you're not part of my game, but-"

"No, that's not it," said Tadashi. "I'm not a game character. I don't know how I got here but I belong in the real world." He looked out the window, out at the huge player screen. "I'm supposed to be out there."

Felix looked at him with sympathy. "Look, buddy, I know it might be strange, but you are a game character now. We just need to find which game you belong to."

"Need help changing games?" The large man stood in the doorway. "You know, buddy, when you're better, I've got the perfect place to send you."

"Ralph," said Felix warningly, "You're not thinking of-"

"It wasn't for me, sure," Ralph replied, "But Tadashi here's a strong lad. I think it'll suit him."

"What game are you thinking of?" Tadashi asked slowly.

Ralph and Felix exchanged a glance and both replied, "Hero's Duty."

* * *

Hiro rubbed his head. "What's happening?" he asked, blinking open his eyes.

GoGo pushed his purple helmet into his chest. "You died in the game," she said. "You regenerated."

"I-I did?"

"Yeah, the player was rubbish," said Fred. "They gave you a _really_ gory death."

"You can't let it happen again," said GoGo.

"It's not like it was my fault!" Hiro exclaimed.

"I think you should wear this one, GoGo," Honey Lemon interrupted, holding up a tight black dress with bright yellow ruffles around the neckline and the bottom of the dress.

"I'm wearing my uniform, I've told you," GoGo grunted.

"Are you going somewhere?" Hiro asked.

The others laughed. "He always forgets everything after he regenerates," said Honey Lemon with a chuckle.

"We're going to Sugar Rush," GoGo replied. "They're sending some people to help clear up our game, so we're joining their race tonight."

"What happened to our game?" Hiro asked, feeling confused, and just as stupid.

"Players have been wrecking it for days," said Wasabi. "It's getting so bad we've had to bring people in to clear it up."

"Oh," said Hiro. "Wait, did you say tonight?"

"That's right, kid," said GoGo. "And Honey, I'm not wearing that dress."

Honey gave her a disapproving look, tucking the dress over her arm. "You'll regret it when we get to the palace," she told her.

"I don't care what the princess has to think about what I wear," GoGo said, starting to polish her yellow helmet.

"President, not princess," Honey corrected.

"Whatever," said GoGo.

"Well your uniform does look pretty good on you," said Fred. He realised what he said and started turning pink. "Uh, nice design, I mean." He pulled his hood over his head to hide his embarrassment.

"Is Baymax coming too?" Hiro asked, looking over at the robot that stood, eyes closed, in his recharge stand.

"No," said Wasabi, "He's on really low battery so he's staying behind."

"But you said we were racing," Hiro objected.

"Yeah," said GoGo, "In a car, genius."

"It's getting late," said Wasabi. "We should get going."

Hiro followed the others onto the train and it quickly pulled out of the station. It wasn't long before they arrived in Sugar Rush.

"Right, people," said Honey, "Here we're sort of legends. The people will be excited. Best faces on."

"Just get out of the carriage," said GoGo. They all stepped out to find Honey was completely right. Screaming sweets were everywhere, having to be behind ropes to keep Big Hero 6 safe.

"Welcome to Sugar Rush," said a doughnut police officer.

"We're here to escort you to the palace," said the other officer who was an eclair.

"You don't need to do that," said GoGo, but she looked pleased at all of the attention.

"It's sort of our orders," said Doughnut.

"From President Von Schweetz," Eclair added.

"I told you she isn't a princess," Honey whispered to GoGo.

GoGo rolled her eyes. "We'll let you escort us, I suppose," she told the officers. "Anything for Little Miss Princess," she muttered under her breath.

"Come this way then," said Doughnut, gesturing towards an open-roofed carriage made of sweets.

"I'm really hungry," said Fred, getting inside.

"Don't eat the carriage, Fred," said GoGo, giving him a look.

Fred grinned beneath his suit. "Don't count on it," he said.

The carriage drove through Sugar Rush, all the way along the sweet path up to the palace. The huge gates were opened and they were allowed inside.

"How come the president lives in a palace?" Hiro asked.

"You haven't heard the story?" Honey raised her eyebrows. "The palace used to belong to King Candy, who was really Turbo. The president was the true princess of Sugar Rush, but decided to be a president instead."

Hiro nodded. "This all happened before our game was installed, wasn't it?"

"That's right," said Wasabi. "I'm sure someone's told you the story before."

"The president has just returned to Sugar Rush," said Eclair. "You will all get to meet her tonight before the race."

"I guess this is where we get out," Hiro thought aloud, looking at the intricate designs on the floor of the courtyard whilst stepping out of the carriage.

"We will escort you inside," said Doughnut.

"Where you will change clothes for the evening," Eclair added.

"Why?" GoGo demanded, watching the palace gates shut in in front of screaming fans wanting to get in.

"Her Excellency the President is holding a masked ball this evening before the race tonight," Doughnut explained.

"Come this way please," said Eclair. "You three will come with us, and you two ladies will be escorted by our maids here."

"Ladies," GoGo scoffed. She rolled her eyes and followed the maids to the dressing room.

Hiro and the boys followed the guards to a different dressing room, where several outfits complete with matching masks awaited them.

Later that evening, Big Hero Six strode into the ballroom, every pair of eyes turning to them. Apparently they were sort of famous in this game. They tried the drinks and snacks, whilst a string quartet was playing, accompanied by a flute.

"Well this is..." Wasabi trailed off.

"Unexpected?" Fred suggested. "I thought Sugar Rush threw epic dance parties."

"Look," said Hiro, gesturing to the opening doors on the far side of the ballroom.

The president wore a ballgown in teal, with a huge tulle princess-style skirt and the top with diamonds studded all over it. She wore a matching mask in the same colour with the same diamonds, and had her hair cascading in curls down her shoulders with crystals decorating them. To Hiro, she looked absolutely stunning.

"That's the president?" GoGo whispered. "I told you she was a princess."

Hiro tightened his black and purple mask which matched his suit, and went over to the snack table. He was in the middle of choosing between crystallised fruits and the chocolate-dipped marshmallow kebabs when he felt someone at his side.

"I would choose the kebabs." The president was shorter in person, with a very small physique.

"You would?" Hiro asked. "I mean, uh, you would, Your Excellency?"

"You're from Big Hero Six, aren't you?" The president asked, taking a sweet from a passing tray and popping it in her mouth.

Hiro nodded. "I am, Your Excellency."

"President Von Schweetz," said the president, looking up at Hiro. "And your name?"

"Gamer Hamada, Miss Von Schweetz," he replied.

The president seemed to falter then, staring up at him.

"Are you alright, madam?" Hiro asked politely.

The president gave a small cough. "I am, thank you, Mr Hamada," she replied professionally. "Do you dance?"

"Sorry?"

"I said do you dance, Gamer," the president repeated.

"A little, Miss President," Hiro replied. "Would you dance with me?"

The president smiled beneath her mask. "I will," she said, taking Hiro's hand as he lead her into the next dance.

* * *

Vanellope bit her lip behind the mask. She had been told she was to host a ball and a race afterwards. But she had been sure it wasn't actually real. Now that Hiro had turned up, and of course she knew it was him, it made her wonder how much was really reality.

As she danced with Hiro, she felt a mixture of bittersweet emotions. As much as she loved dancing with him, she wasn't sure if he had recognised her. And that made her worry. How were they all there? And why was it Big Hero Six now? She supposed it was because she was no longer a part of the team.

Soon the ball was over, and after a quick wardrobe change - Big Hero Six into uniforms and Vanellope into her teal and pink racer suit, which was identical to the one Hiro had made her - the race was about to begin.

"I thank Big Hero Six for taking the time to participate in our race tonight," Vanellope began, "And I would like to welcome them all to Sugar Rush."

Their faces still not quite visible behind their helmets, Big Hero Six got into a vehicle each.

"I will also take part in this race, and I hope it all goes well." Vanellope got into a bright pink car, slammed the door and revved up the engine.

The commentator's voice boomed over the speakers. "And let the race begin!"


	6. Voices

**Chapter Six: Voices**

The revving of the engines; the heartbeats as they rushed with adrenaline; the scream of the horn; and the whoosh as the racers sped off.

Vanellope slammed her foot on the pedal, pulling ahead. It felt like deja vu - how well she knew the track. But as her car spun round the corner of the racetrack, she forgot everything she had been worrying about - Hiro, the arcade, the dream - and completely focused on the race. It was always like that; it always had been.

A huge monster truck zoomed past her, with jets of fire out each side. "Later, princess!" yelled the boy with the beanie, laughing as he overtook her.

Vanellope clenched her jaw and prepared to speed up, but the famous GoGo whizzed past on her yellow racebike, overtaking the monster truck herself.

Eventually they rounded the last lap and crossed the finish line, Vanellope dropping into a gracious second-place. It wouldn't have been right to win against guests, though she left it at a close loss. Vanellope sighed as she passed the finish line. She didn't know what to do anymore.

* * *

"Take the gun, Soldier."

Tadashi caught the gun thrown at him, staring at the commander. "So what's this game about?" he asked.

The commander fixed him with a steely glare. "I talk, you listen," he barked. "Kill the cybugs and get the player into the tower. That's it."

Tadashi nodded. "And what are cybugs?"

"Just get out there!" The commander ordered all of the soldiers outside.

 _"I used to be in charge of that game," Felix's wife Tamora had said before Tadashi left Fix-It-Felix._

 _"What happened?" Tadashi asked._

 _"I quit," said Tamora simply. "I left to join this game."_

 _"Why?"_

 _Tamora held up a silvery ring. "I got married," she explained._

 _"Are you allowed to do that?" Tadashi frowned._

 _"I'm no longer a part of Hero's Duty," said Tamora. "I'm not an active character in Fix-It-Felix either, but just a piece of game data."_

 _"Isn't that kind of... sad?" Tadashi asked._

 _"No," Tamora snapped, making Tadashi flinch. She sighed. "It's not sad when it's what you want."_

"The cybugs ain't gonna wait for you, newbie," said the commander. "Get out there, now!"

Tadashi gripped the gun in his hands and ran out into the bleak wasteland of the game. _Who would even willingly play this?_ he wondered, following the other recruits. Tiny green eggs on the ground started expanding and huge bugs with glowing eyes were produced. Tadashi stopped for a split second. He guess that's what the commander had been on about. Cybugs.

Tadashi stood there, stunned. He glanced down at the huge gun in his hands, thoughts running through his head. But he didn't want to shoot the cybugs, despite their horrific appearance.

 ** _Shoot._**

Tadashi frowned. He could have sworn he'd heard a voice-

 ** _Shoot the cybugs._**

Tadashi swallowed, turning his head around him sharply. Who had spoken?

 ** _Just shoot the damned bug, Tadashi._**

Tadashi slid his hand into position and shot the cybug approaching him with menace. It was only after he'd done it that he felt guilty.

 ** _That's more like it._**

Tadashi clenched his jaw. "Who are you?" he asked aloud, questioning the girl's voice.

 ** _Not like that. You sound awfully silly_** _._

Dozens more cybugs were streaming towards Tadashi, and all he could do was bitterly shoot them down. He headed towards the tower, blasting cybugs as he went. When he stopped for a breath, he almost thought he'd imagined that voice.

 ** _I'm still here you know._**

 _Who are you?_ Tadashi thought.

 ** _I'm the voice inside your head, of course. Your... self-conscious, I suppose you could call me_** _._

 _The voice inside my head?_

 ** _Yep. Get on with the game, will you?_**

 _Wait, how did you know my name?_ Tadashi demanded.

 ** _I'm inside your head, silly. Now, listen to your commander and finish the game._**

Tadashi snapped back into reality, or as much as he could call reality, and sprinted inside the tower. As soon as he was inside, he stopped stiff. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of tiny green eggs littered the floor, and Tadashi could hear the other soldiers coming in behind him.

 _What do I do?_

 ** _Stay with the game. Once you're in a game, that's your game. Stay in there, and you'll be fine._**

 _But-_

 ** _No buts. Finish the game!_**

Grumbling, Tadashi turned to the commander, who barked orders to complete the level.

* * *

"Congratulations," said Vanellope into the loudspeaker, prompted by the Royal Advisor. She turned to the winner of the race: the boy in the purple suit - Hiro. She swallowed, held out the trophy, and took his hand.

Hiro removed his helmet, kneeling graciously. As soon as Vanellope saw his face gazing up at her, she wanted to cry. He really couldn't remember her, could he?

 ** _Ugh, snap out of it, girl._**

A boy's voice, talking inside her head. Vanellope nearly dropped the trophy. "What?" he muttered.

"Your Excellency?" said the Royal Advisor nervously.

"Um, yes, congratulations, hero," Vanellope amended. "You have risen from this race a winner. Sugar Rush is honoured to have such a racer in our midst." The Royal Advisor had drilled the speech into her a few hours before.

"It is our pleasure and honour to be a part of your game," said Hiro, accepting the trophy.

The crowd went wild with noise. It had been a narrow win for Hiro, with GoGo nearly taking the trophy. Vanellope had been close behind, of course, but had graciously let one of them win as a sign of respect. Sugar Rush, as she had been told, was doing Big Hero Six a favour, cleaning up their game after a busy season. And Big Hero Six had joined their race in return.

Vanellope stormed into her bedchambers and slammed the door. No-one had bothered to tell her that Big Hero Six would be staying in the palace during the renovation of their game. She meant against the door and sighed. She didn't know what to do.

 ** _Pull yourself together, princess._**

"So I wasn't imagining it," Vanellope breathed, though it was hard take a deep breath in the dress she had changed into after the race.

 ** _Of course not._**

"Who are you?" Vanellope asked, folding her arms across her chest.

 ** _That's a bit of a long story. Why don't we skip to your part in it?_**

"Well, how are you talking in my head?"

 ** _I can't really tell you that. But you have to listen to me._**

"Why should I?" Vanellope demanded.

"Your Excellency?" a voice called from my outside. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes, thank you!" Vanellope made sure the door was shut, and then flopped down on her bed. "You're making me sound stupid!" she hissed.

 ** _Talk inside your head, stupid. Think the words._**

 _Like this?_

 ** _Exactly. Now, hear me out._**

 _Fine._

 ** _You're probably freaking out right now. But listen to me. You have to stay in Sugar Rush. If you leave, you've already lost._**

 _What do you mean?_

 ** _It doesn't matter. Just stay in Sugar Rush._**

The voice suddenly disappeared from her head. Vanellope rubbed her temples in confusion. That had been weird, even for an arcade game.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Your Magnificence?"

The woman in the tight black dress sauntered over to the smaller man, her stilettos clicking on the floor. "I did, Nelson, I did," she purred. She leant over by him, her dark lustrous hair cascading down her bare shoulder. "There's something we need to talk about."

"There is, Your Splendourness?" the man tittered nervously, pushing a pair of square glasses up his nose.

"Yes, Nelson." The woman walked her hand across the desk. "Something has come to my attention. It concerns you," she drawled.

"Your G-G-Graciousness?"

"You have caused a fault, Nelson," she snapped. "A quickly unraveling thread in my perfectly stitched plan."

Nelson swallowed. "M-Mistress Cobra?"

"You see this?" Mistress Cobra pointed one pink-nailed finger at the screen in front of them. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Big Hero Six has been added to the arcade," said Nelson with a gulp.

"And look," said Mistress Cobra. "They are within close proximity to that president girl. Too close! This will ruin everything, Nelson, everything." Her expression became sour.

"What am I supposed t-to do, Mistress?" Nelson looked frantically at the control pad.

"There's nothing you can do, you idiot," Mistress Cobra snapped. "I have erased Big Hero Six's memories from the real world. But the little princess was harder. I need her memories, but there are too many to be uploaded. It'll take days, maybe weeks."

"I know, Your Greatness," said Nelson, "But if there's nothing you can do-"

"I need Big Hero Six out of there!" Mistress Cobra stood up and crossed her arms. "Speed up the clean up process of their game. Anything between the Sugar Rush princess and the others could trigger a complete meltdown of our system. Get to it!"

"Y-Yes, Mistress."

Mistress Cobra turned on her heel and stormed out.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah... a lot of stuff going on in this chapter! As much as I hate using loads of line-breaks, I still have to until the gang are all reunited, or one of them dies or something. Just kidding. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Special mention to 'sanaa11' who always reviews with really lovely comments and questions! Thank you!**

 **Chapter Seven will be up next Saturday, unless I finish it before :) Bye for now,**

 **Ginger xx**


	7. Crazier

**Chapter Seven: Crazier  
**

The girl sat down in the computer chair and spun around to face the desk in front of her. She grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl beside her and shoved it into her mouth, pulling a headset onto her ears. She looked down at her laptop screen and smiled in satisfaction. It was so cool. She'd managed to create a direct link to one of the arcade games, and could see it all from home. She spun around in the chair, but froze when she heard a noise.

 _Ping!_

How was it possible? The girl slid back over to the desk, staring at the screen. Maybe she hadn't just connected her laptop to one game. It was to the entire arcade?! A name popped up on the screen: _kingofthejungle101_. The girl frowned. Another hacker? No, it wasn't possible. She was the only one who could have made the link. She sighed, and adjusted the mouthpiece, clicking on the username.

"Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Not a very nice way to start a conversation," said a boy's English accent in reply. "Not much of a name either - _queenbee7_."

"You can't say much, _kingofthejungle101_ ," the girl shot back. "Look, can you get out of my interface? You can't hack into another hacker's stuff."

"No way," said the boy. "What I'm doing with this game is cool. I'm not just going to leave."

"Well you're gonna have to," said the girl firmly. "It's not yours to play around with and-"

"Wait," the boy interrupted. "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"In the Pac-Man game," said the boy. "Right underneath."

The girl focused the screen on the data below Pac-Man. "I don't know what you're-" She cut herself off and stared at the screen. "Who's that?"

"No clue," said the boy. "But I don't think they're supposed to be there."

"Too right," the girl muttered. "What are they doing?"

"Looks like the same as us, but from inside the game," said the boy. "How is that possible?"

"They must be game characters, but wouldn't they be in a game?" The girl frowned, eating some more popcorn.

"What's the crunching noise?" the boy asked.

"I'm hungry," the girl shrugged. "I don't think that woman, or the man, are even supposed to be in there."

"Listen to what they're saying," said the boy quietly.

" _I need Big Hero Six out of there! Any contact between them and the princess could trigger a complete meltdown of our system!_ " the woman was saying.

"Oh, she means the _president_ of Sugar Rush," said the boy. "President Von Schweetz can remember really weird things."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like things from the real world. It's like she's not a game character at all."

"There's another guy like that," the girl said. "In Hero's Duty."

"In Hero's Duty?" the boy repeated.

"That sounds really weird when you say it," said the girl. "If you're from Britain, why are you in San Fransokyo?"

"Do we really need my life story right now?" the boy sighed. "I think that woman is the bad guy here, and no-one in there even knows it."

"It's like the game characters are real people," said the girl, "Only they don't know about the real world."

"Except two of them," the boy pointed out. "I think that if the characters don't remember each other, the evil lady's plan will go ahead. And evil plans usually aren't good."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Wait a minute," said the boy. "No, there's no way I'd work together with you."

"I suppose we could save the arcade," the girl pondered. "But no way! I never want to speak to you again, stupid hacker."

"You're a hacker too," the boy said meaningfully.

"At least I don't hack into hacker software," the girl snapped. She took of the headset and slammed it into the keyboard.

"Fine," the boy muttered, before his voice disappeared.

* * *

 **Hello, princess.**

 _I thought you'd gone,_ Vanellope accused, leaning on the balcony overlooking the whole of Sugar Rush.

 **Nope. Still here.**

 _Do you know what's happening, subconscious?_

There was a slight pause where Vanellope could hear only the gentle breeze rustling the candy-wrapper leaves on the trees.

 **I know some things.**

 _Like what? I have a million questions._

 **I can't tell you them, obviously.**

 _That's not fair._ Vanellope sighed, pushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. Despite the consistent melancholy that had been overwhelming her all day, she looked out at the sunrise and smiled slightly. The bright amber sun was slowly bursting into the pale sky, staining it with coral, saffron and violet. It was beautiful.

The voice seemed to hesitate, unsure of what to say. Almost making up its mind.

 **Look, princess-**

The voice broke off, like it was disconnecting. Vanellope just sighed again. The day hadn't been as fun as she'd dreamt this world to be. Especially now that she wasn't sure Hiro, or any of the others, really remembered her. And they were leaving to return to their game that morning. Vanellope had one last chance to find out how much Hiro remembered.

"You wanted to see me, Miss President?"

Ah, yes, now she remembered. She had sent the servant to fetch Hiro some time ago.

"Hiro." Vanellope turned to him, her skirts rustling as she moved.

"You know my name, Your Excellency?" Hiro smiled.

Vanellope felt a lump in her throat. _Of course I know your name, you idiot._ "You don't remember me, at all, do you?" Vanellope asked.

"I don't really understand," said Hiro. "We met yesterday, Miss President."

Vanellope finally felt like breaking down into tears. "You remember nothing?"

Hiro shook his head in confusion. "Are you alright? I could send for someone-"

"I'm fine," Vanellope said shortly. She moved closer to him, looking into those deep brown eyes of his. He was still the same old Hiro Hamada. "Hiro, it's me – Vanellope. We both lived in San Fransokyo, and we went to the movies together. We went to the arcade, the cinema, everywhere. Don't you remember?"

"Your Excellency," Hiro said, a hint of alarm coming into his voice.

"But then your brother Tadashi died and you wouldn't speak to anyone," Vanellope went on. "You must remember Tadashi. He was everything to you."

"Your Excellency," Hiro said politely, gently pushing her off him, "Uh, Miss Von Schweetz. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you've got me confused with someone else-"

"I don't, Hiro," Vanellope interrupted. "I know you're still you in there, you've just forgotten about me, that's all." She brushed a lock of hair off Hiro's face and he stepped back.

"I think you're a little confused-"

"I'm not confused!" Vanellope snapped. "Why can't you just remember? I feel so lonely without you, even though you're right here..."

"Guard!" Hiro called.

"I'm not dangerous, Hiro," Vanellope pleaded. "Why can't you just see?" Her eyes started brimming with tears, which she angrily wiped away. "I remember you! I would never forget you, Hiro!"

"Guard!" Hiro yelled again, far more urgently this time.

"I thought, over the time we knew each other, that maybe I felt something for you, Hiro," said Vanellope, advancing on him. "I can't just accept that you don't remember me! We were close! So close..."

Two guards ran onto the balcony, restraining the princess from Hiro.

"We'll take this from here, Sir," the first one said.

"Terribly sorry, Sir," the other added.

Hiro gave Vanellope one last look before fleeing the scene.

"I'm not crazy!" Vanellope screamed after him. "You knew me, Hiro Hamada!"

"Your Excellency, we're going to have to take you to the medical quarters," said the first guard.

"No!" Vanellope shouted. "I'm not sick! And I'm not crazy!"

The two guards exchanged a glance and nodded.

"I order you to bring Hiro back!" Vanellope wept, her voice cracking.

The first guard brought out a needle and drained the contents into Vanellope's arm. Tears streaming down her face and her voice hoarse, she collapsed to the ground, her vision starting to swim. "Hiro..." she whispered, finally falling unconscious.

* * *

 **A/N: OK, so firstly - sorry that this is two days late, _and_ that it's not as long as I would have liked it. I'll make it up to you with a super long chapter in the future, I promise :) Thank you all so much for your support and I hope you enjoyed this - if so, please leave a review below, much appreciated!**

 **'Til next time,**

 **Ginger xx**


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